Football

Klopp confirms Germany talks, says he's 'recharged' since Liverpool exit

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed he's in negotiations to take over as Germany coach and says he's "recharged" the energy he was missing when he left Liverpool. Klopp is the German soccer federation's preferred candidate after Julian Nagelsmann resigned Friday, four days after Germany lost on penalties to Paraguay in the World Cup round of 32. "Julian has stepped down and the (federation) is working on the succession and has approached me in the course of those considerations," said Klopp, speaking from New York on German broadcaster Magenta TV in his role as a World Cup commentator late Friday. Klopp was the only coach named in a federation statement on the team's future, which said Klopp had "signaled his willingness" to take over. Klopp said talks would take time because of his current contract as head of global soccer for Red Bull's network of clubs. Klopp hasn't coached since he left Liverpool in 2024, saying at the time he was "running out of energy" after eight years with the club

Bayern Munich seal $63m deal for Germany left-back Nathaniel Brown

Bayern Munich signed Germany left back Nathaniel "Nene" Brown from Bundesliga rival Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported fee of 55 million euros ($63 million) on Friday. The Bavarian powerhouse said the 23-year-old Brown had signed a contract through June 2031. "He made his mark at the World Cup and showed why we've been looking at him for a while. He'll expand our options in both defense and midfield," Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said. Born in Bavaria to a German mother and American father, Brown could have played for the United States. He was a key part of the Germany Under-21 team which lost the European Championship final to England last year and said he wanted to stay with Germany. He was first choice at left back for the World Cup, and one of the few players to emerge from the tournament with their reputations enhanced after Germany's shock exit to Paraguay in the first knockout game. Brown has now made eight appearances for the senior team. Brown joined Frankfurt

The mastermind behind France's machine: Deschamps eyes perfect WC farewell

First as the captain who lifted the nation's maiden FIFA World Cup in 1998. Then as the coach who restored Les Bleus to the summit of world football in 2018.

Zee bags exclusive Bundesliga media rights in India for five-year period

Beginning with the 2026-27 season, Bundesliga matches will stream on Zee5 and air on Unite8 Sports channels as Zee expands its football broadcasting portfolio in India

From burgers to pizzas, Fifa nights drive food delivery orders in India

World Cup 2026 viewership in India is driving late-night demand for burgers, pizzas, fries and beverages on food delivery platforms

FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 schedule, live match time and streaming

The expanded 48-team format has delivered one of the most diverse knockout line-ups in World Cup history.

FIFA World Cup 2026 HIGHLIGHTS: Argentina beat Jordan 3-1; Colombia-Portugal play 0-0 draw

Portugal held by Colombia to a goalless draw as they will now face Croatia in the next round. Messi scored his 6th goal as Argentina won 3-1 against Jordan.

How Julian Naglesmann helped Germany forget the ghosts of 2018 and 2022

For the first time since lifting the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, Germany have secured a place in the knockout stages of football's biggest tournament.

Zlatan to Maldini: The greatest players who never scored at FIFA World Cup

Football history contains a fascinating category of legends, players who conquered domestic leagues, won Ballon d'Or awards, lifted European trophies and broke scoring records, but never managed

Morocco youngest top-ranked Fifa World Cup squad, Brazil oldest: LCP study

Mexico leads in professional footballers and clubs, while the US and Saudi Arabia show rising football depth

Ronaldinho 'ready for action' after signing with Serie C side Ravenna at 46

Brazil great Ronaldinho has signed with Italian Serie C club Ravenna at age 46, more than a decade after retiring. "I cannot wait to dance with the ball," Ronaldinho said. "Football has always been joyful for me, and I'm excited to bring that spirit to Ravenna. Let the magic begin!" The Ravenna club is run by Ignazio Cipriani of the Cipriani restaurant brand. "(Ronaldinho) was my idol growing up," Cipriani said at a presentation in Miami. "I hope his involvement inspires a new generation of supporters to fall in love with Ravenna." Ronaldinho last played professionally for Fluminense in 2015. It will mark his second spell in Italy after featuring for AC Milan from 2008-11. He won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002 and the Ballon d'Or in 2005.

Fifa WC: Portugal vs Colombia match on June 28 to decide Group K toppers

Fifa World Cup 2026 group K round of 32 qualification scenarios: Colombia are through; Portugal need a point, while DR Congo and Uzbekistan must win and rely on third-place calculations.

Fifa mulls keeping hydration breaks for future World Cups: Infantino

FIFA will consider keeping hydration breaks for future World Cups despite backlash to the extra stoppages in play at this year's tournament. Gianni Infantino, the soccer body's president, defended the decision to introduce breaks - which come midway through each half - at this World Cup and said Tuesday they may be providing more entertainment for fans. He said FIFA would analyze what it will do in future tournaments "based on this experience." But after criticism that the breaks were a stealth way to insert advertising or American-style timeouts, Infantino suggested the stoppages have been positive. "Maybe the coach can reassess certain situations, correct certain mistakes. The players get a little rest and come back in full speed. Well, is that bad necessarily? Maybe it's good," Infantino said. "And we see as well the intensity of the games. We've never seen 90 minutes in a tournament like this played in such an intensity. "Until the last second of the match, players attack and s

Fifa WC 2026: Paraguay's Miguel Almiron handed one-game ban after red card

Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron has been given a one-match suspension after he was the first player to be sent off at the World Cup for covering his mouth. FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that Almiron will miss Paraguay's final group game against Australia on Thursday. World soccer's governing body said the decision was not subject to appeal. Almiron made history when he was issued a red card for covering his mouth during a confrontation with Turkey's Mert Mulder late in the first half of Paraguay's 1-0 win last Friday. Under new rules, players are not allowed to cover their mouths to disguise what they are saying during confrontations, with infringements leading to an instant dismissal. FIFA president Gianni Infantino pushed for the legislation after a high-profile incident in a Champions League game between Real Madrid and Benfica last season. Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni tried to hide verbal insults toward Madrid's Vinicius Junior. UEFA later issued Prestianni a six-game ban --

Fifa World Cup 2026: Croatia stay alive, eliminate Panama With 1-0 win

Josip Stanisic lifted a curving cross onto the boot of Ante Budimir, who tapped it into an open net in the 54th minute Tuesday, giving Croatia a 1-0 win over Panama in the World Cup. Croatia remains in contention for the knockout round ahead of its third and final group-stage match against Ghana on Saturday. Panama was eliminated and is still seeking its first World Cup point in two appearances. After a slow-moving first half at BMO Field, Croatia broke through Panama's strong back line after the break, with substitute Budimir finding the net just four minutes after coming on. The Vatreni nearly added another goal three minutes later when 40-year-old Luka Modric -- making his 200th international appearance -- passed ahead to Marco Pasalic on a breakaway, but Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera blocked Pasalic's shot. Panama had three straight chances in the 67th minute to knot things up. Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic made a trio of dazzling saves; on the third, he just manage

England, Ghana play out goalless draw after late World Cup drama

England dominated possession but came up empty on several late scoring opportunities in a 0-0 draw with Ghana on Tuesday at the World Cup. Both teams won their opening matches, with Ghana beating Panama 1-0 and England defeating Croatia 4-2. Now both still have work to do in Group L before securing a spot in the knockout round. England, which has not lost to an African country at the World Cup in nine meetings, outshot Ghana 19-1 but failed capitalise on multiple chances in the closing minutes. England lost to France in the quarterfinals at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. Ghana has not made it to the knockout round since reaching the quarterfinals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The Three Lions had a chance to take the lead in the 86th minute when Nico O'Reilly's header hit the crossbar. Harry Kane gathered the rebound but could not get enough on it with his left foot and shot high. Ghana's best chance came in the 78th minute came when Abdul Fatawu outfought England midfielde

Brazil vs Haiti HIGHLIGHTS FIFA WC 2026: Brazil and Morocco register first wins of the tournament

While Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 earlier, Brazil stole the show with a 3-0 win against Haiti

FIFA World Cup 2026: Why the Golden Boot race could be toughest this year?

Just one round of group-stage matches into the tournament, the race is already crowded with some of the biggest names in football.

Morocco to Cape Verde: Africa's strong start reshaping the WC narrative

Across the United States, Canada and Mexico, African nations have demonstrated that they are no longer content with simply participating.

Kerala Budget boosts sports and culture with stadium, film city projects

The revised Kerala Budget for 2026-27 presented in the Assembly by Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Friday gave a major push to the sports and cultural sectors, announcing projects, including an international-standard football stadium in Malabar, a film city in Kochi and a cultural park in Kozhikode. In a move likely to enthuse football fans, especially in north Kerala, Satheesan announced the construction of a world-class football stadium in the Malabar region and allocated Rs 50 crore for the project. Referring to the state's passion for football, he said a world-class stadium was essential to systematically identify and train football talent and host prestigious international matches. "Recognising the immense passion and profound love for the game among football fans in Kerala, an international standard football stadium equipped with ultra-modern facilities will be constructed in the Malabar region. An amount of Rs 50 crore is allocated for this project," he said. In the first ..